Xbox

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/nfsu/cover.jpg[/floatleft][author]Snowcone[/author][i]Snowcone Note:[/i] We here at Snackbar Games do not condone Pretzel’s unhealthy obsession with The Fast and The Furious and we are actively trying to help him through this addiction so if you could bare with us as we work through this time with him. Thank you. 😉

“…ROME!! ONLY MY HOMEBOYS CALL ME ROME… PIG!!” 2 FAST… 2 FURIOUS… DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT!!! That’s right; It’s Pretz droppin you some 2 Fast 2 Furious lines in this review. I have to tell you that I am not at all a racing fan, but after watching the trailer to NFS: Underground, it totally took me back to Paul Walker in 2 Fast 2 Furious. I have to say that the sequels to the movie and the game were much better than their predecessors. At first I really didn’t think of even giving it a try considering that it’s a racing game, but in all honesty I love decked out supped up cars. So why the hell not, I tried it out and was addicted. However, there are flaws to all games and I will get to those very soon, but first to the good stuff.

Underground provides you with different types of races just to mix it up a little. For your enjoyment, there are drift races, drag races, sprints, and circuit tournaments. Circuit tournaments can vary from lap knockouts to free run. Lap knockouts consist of four racers and three laps. The racer who ends up last after each lap, gets knocked out. Drift races are races where you have to slide your car before hitting the wall. Prevent hitting the wall and you will get mad style points. The more style points, the more things you can unlock. Drift races are very difficult I might add. Style points can also be unlocked by getting airborne during races, sliding, avoiding traffic, finding shortcuts, and drafting. In order to become skillful in drifting and drag racing, tutorials are provided for you. If you’re like me you won’t take the time to look at the tutorials, and you’ll just race. One of the solid aspects of Underground was the controls. The layout of the controls is super simple for even the first time racer. You are given the option to steer with the toggle stick or directional pad and your throttle is the right trigger and the brake is the left trigger. Pretty simple right?

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/nfsu/ss03_thumb.jpg[/floatright]Like I said before, the more points the better. The only way you can unlock more tracks is by winning each race by getting 1st place. 2nd place is just not good enough. Every time you win a race you get more points and unlock “stuff”. Now the “stuff” you unlock is what you need to pimp out your car. You can unlock vinyl, decals, nitrous oxide, performance mods, and much much more. Trust me when I tell you, you can mod your car up about a thousand different ways. It’s endless how you can make your cars look. Speaking of cars, Underground provides twenty of the hottest cars out today. Choose from a Honda Civic, Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi Eclipse and a Lancer and plenty more. One thing I liked about the car customization menu was that it had so many different options. If you are knowledgeable about performance parts, then you will know what parts to get. There are so many manufacturers to choose from so I just picked the ones that sounded cool. I think I must have changed the look of my car over a dozen times. I started with a Honda Civic and then I traded it in for a WRX which let me tell you is freaking sweet.

Having customized my car and put it to the test I have to say that the graphics in Underground are just beautiful. The city is just gorgeous at night and seeing the skyline from a distance is just tremendous. Not to mention the small intricate details added to the streets, and buildings when zooming past them. I really think that EA has out done themselves with this title. The graphics are very superior to most of the racing games that I have played in the past. I would have to say that Underground rises above the rest of the wannabe racing games out there. One aspect that EA decided to add that puts this game above the rest was the special effects once you use your NOS. The world around you just seems to become a blur and it feels as if you are going the speed of light.

Now I must come down from cloud nine and mention the games flaws. Being very few, these flaws are what keep it from being a legendary game in my book. One thing that frustrated me about the games realism was that fact that it was non-existent when it came to wrecking. At the end of every race you are congratulated and greeted by the spectators watching the race. After an intense race through the city, you will no doubt experience many slams against walls, rails, cars and any other objects you find in your way. Many times you will find yourself in an uncontrollable mid air spin caused by incoming traffic. Now in reality, the effects of driving 149 mph would result in dismemberment, being disabled, and probably death. After every race you will pull up in your ride good as new with no scratches, dents or anything. Where is the realism in that?

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/nfsu/ss06_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]Something else that really annoyed me was the lack of variety in race tracks. Most were just different tracks mixed into one. The same goes with music, if they would’ve had about sixty more artists and songs in the mix I believe sound wise it would’ve been suitable. The featured artists in Underground are Crystal Method, Mystikal, Nate Dogg, Rob Zombie and many more. The sound effects made by the cars are very well done in Underground. The screeching of tires, the NOS firing, the clicking of shifts, all very well executed, but I was just hoping a larger overall collection of music for the soundtrack.

“THE POT HOLES IN THE STREET JUST BENTCHA RIMS, TELL ME WHATCHA GONNA DO? ACT A FOOL!!” Some Ludacris for you peeps, just watched 2 Fast 2 Furious and the cars in that movie truly remind me of the cars in the game. This game leaves a lot of room for creativity for the gamer. With an endless amount of different visual customizations, everything is left up to your creativity and imagination. Depending on how good you do in races, you might just end up on the front cover of racing magazines. Overall, NFS Underground provides great challenging races, beautiful graphics, an unlimited amount of visual customizations, and purely fun gameplay. For you folks that have not been able to find an outstanding racing game, I most definitely suggest getting this game.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/crimsonskies/cover.jpg[/floatleft]Console flight games suck. This had been the basic knowledge engraved in every gamer’s mind since the launch of the Nintendo 64. Sure, there were some exceptions, but they sold so little no one ever heard of them again. This dearth of niche genre is in most part due to the graphical limitations of the earlier consoles, and the limited control layout available from a console. PC users lavished themselves with an entire keyboard within their grasp to use effectively in the utter destruction of airborne opponents. For the consoles, if a flying game did manage to appear, it was usually so stripped down that the audience it would normally appeal to rejected it in disgust. This, unfortunately, has lasted far too long. Finally, a game comes along that appeals to both discerning audiences, the hardcore sim fanatics, and quick-action players. Enter Crimson Skies.

Appearing like a bat out of hell, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge makes its graceful appearance on the Xbox, not a moment too soon. This is more spectacular than it first seems, considering the oft delayed and almost axed re-designing of this game from its PC release two years earlier. Gamers read the cryptic press statements leaking themselves onto the internet over a period of months, each time their hopes of perhaps one great console flight game diminishing. Therefore, it is with the greatest joy and enthusiasm that I tell you, Crimson Skies kicks major ass. If you take one thing away from my review, let it be that as you plod your way down to the local store to buy it. Not only is it money well spent, but you are also sending a message to developers that you will buy a quality console flight game.

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge throws you into the “experienced” boots of one swashbuckling air pilot named Nathan Zachary. Almost immediately you get slapped in the face with this characters suave and intrinsic ability to attract the opposite sex and stay calm under pressure, thanks to a quality FMV showing him after a long night of gambling and booze napping next to a half naked blonde. Things kick up a notch when Nathan has to steal back his airplane from a greedy pirate from whom he lost it to in a game of gambling. This is but the very start of Nathan’s long and perilous journey, which has a few plot twists along the way.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/crimsonskies/ss03_thumb.jpg[/floatright]I commend the developers for not piecing together a half-assed plot of mutant pirates pillaging his homeland, and instead providing a quality production filled with excellent voice acting and beautiful FMV’s to advance the stories progression. As to not give away too much, I will tell you that along your journey you will encounter an eight-legged giant walking death machine and massive airship powered by giant electricity rotors. Old war buddies you thought were friends will also make appearances as evil foes trying to steal an experimental flight plan for a new aircraft. The developers thankfully kept the story short and sweet, not allowing any room for the monotony usually associated with games of this nature.

Now, time for the meat and potatoes of Crimson Skies. Looking back now, it’s almost an atrocity that the developers were at one time not going to include Xbox Live support. Thankfully, Live is here in full order, boasting world statistics and a plethora of online modes. The complete list includes Dogfight, Team Dogfight, Flag Heist, Keep Away, Team Keep away and Wild Chicken. The only one you might not know is Wild Chicken. Basically, a chicken is flying around the map and if you capture it and bring it to your base, you score. Most points win – simple eh? CS also has a ratings system, consisting of different numbers of dots to represent your skill level. The more you kill and the less you die the higher your ranking will go up. As for the multiplayer itself, it’s a blast. Considering this is one of the first if not the first online console flying game, it pulls it off in spades. Every game I played in was lag free, which is impressive considering the size of the arenas. One of the reasons that make Live play so spectacular is that you are now playing against actual people and not the CPU. What does this mean? Well, expect to see some crazy maneuvering and bloodthirsty opponents that won’t let up until you nosedive into the ground. I cannot convey my sense of thrill when I was eagerly pursuing my latest victim over a sandy plateau, very close to destroying him, only to have him slam on his brakes, loop, and appear behind me with loaded rockets pointing at my tailpipe. Add in the status quo smack talk and CS games can get hot and heavy fast.

An extra layer of depth is added in by the special weapons inherent in each plane. The Piranha for example shoots out lightning momentarily stunning an opponent, while the Coyote unleashes a ball of flame that lights an opponent ablaze. Each player also has a set of special abilities that can be executed via certain joystick combinations. Pointing both sticks in opposite directions and pressing down results in two sideways loop -de- loops. With all of this going on, especially in 16 player matches, you will no doubt see some spectacular takedowns.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/crimsonskies/ss09_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]Another neat feature of CS is the ability to man gun turrets. You will do this many times on the single player campaign, but even in multiplayer if you spot a turret you can swoop down, land, and take control. You can leave whenever you like, but it’s wholly possible to rack up an impressive number of kills with these fast-shooting guns.

Your options of planes in multiplayer are the same as if you were to have unlocked all of them in single player. You have full access to all of them, including such beloved/hated planes like the Piranha, Doppelganger, and Coyote. Some players might moan about certain special weapons being cheap, but trust me, the game is balanced. It should also be noted that there are only five maps to play on, and while they are certainly massive, don’t worry as more are promised via Downloadable Content.

I have not touched greatly upon the game’s graphical prowess, mostly because even if the game were to look like airborne shit, it would still be fun. But thankfully that is not the case. CS has all the latest bells and whistles you would expect in a new Xbox release, and then some. Maps like Chicago will make you drop your jaw in amazement. Giant, and I do meant giant, skyscrapers litter the map along with smaller buildings dwelling down under. Streets are constructed like they should be, and swooping down below in a myriad of sparks and fire is test of that. Never once did I feel confined in my movements in these maps, which is quite a feat. My personal favorite map, Sea Haven, is drop dead gorgeous. A giant volcano ring is encircled by turbulent water slamming into the shores, complemented by moody lightning and clouds. No matter how low or high you fly, these maps always look good. The planes as well are aptly bump mapped and are a spectacle to see in flight, performing dips, dives, and loops with incredibly fluid and beautiful animation. The planes also break up in stages depending on how much damage you have taken. Once you get really low on health, your plane will burst into flame and other players will be able to easily spot you and finish the job.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/crimsonskies/ss11_thumb.jpg[/floatright]CS doesn’t disappoint with the audio, either. Featuring a larger than life soundtrack that fits the single player perfectly, CS’s music is there when you need it but not so much as to irritate. The real stars of the show however are the games’ sound effects. A rusty minigun melted onto the side of a plane unleashing thousands of bullets sounds as mean as it should, and the high-pitch screaming of rockets all too well lets you know you’re screwed. Performing high-g maneuvers results in a whining from the plane, and screaming straight down will result in your plane buckling and stuttering. Stalling your plane in the air is also sweet, as there’s nothing you can do until your plane comes out of its death roll and you re-take control. As mentioned earlier, the voice acting is top notch and the ambient sounds on moody maps help to immerse you to the fullest.

If you have not already run to your nearest game store to pick up CS, I highly recommend you do. Even if you are not a flight buff, CS can still appeal to you. That is because of CS’s greatest achievement – it equally appeals to players who just want to jump in and shoot at planes as well as those who like to strategically fly their planes accomplishing kills with deadly precision and strategy. If you have Live, CS is one of the few games worth $50. If you don’t have Live, then rent. CS’s single player, while good, is not long enough to warrant a costly purchase.

SSX 3

November 21, 2003

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/ssx3/cover.jpg[/floatleft][author]Snowcone[/author]
SSX has been one of the SB favorites since it first debuted on the PS2 way back when. I actually own my PS2 as a result of us needing some way to play SSX while out of town. I was rather surprised with this newest version though. EA Big is known for their over the top games and I felt like SSX 3 stepped away from that and went more towards the realistic end of the spectrum. While these courses are still very unrealistic, they are much more realistic than the Tokyo Megaplex style levels we had grown accustomed to.

[author]Pretzel[/author]
I would have to agree and disagree with my good friend Cone here on many levels. SSX has always been a game where we would try and have udder domination with massive points. And how did you do that? With the help of insane slopes and dope uber tricks. The newest version of SSX does not have many of the original style slopes with the crazy obstacles and the insane air, but I still think it holds its own. What I really enjoyed about SSX 3 was the entire “Counquer the Mountain” bit. I enjoyed being able to upgrade my character and giving him new outfits and boards. Although that’s not far from the past two its still a cool option to have. At first I had a little trouble unlocking the other peaks of the mountains, but then it all came back to me. In order to unlock new peaks, you must be like my good friend Cone here… FREAKING RULING!! You have to be able and win the gold in almost all the events before going on to the next peak.

[author]Snowcone[/author]
I do have to say that the “Conquer the Mountain” was a nice addition. Even though they didn’t really change the overall goals of the game with this release, it was nice that they mixed up the feel of it. It really made you feel like you were snowboarding on a mountain instead of some synthetic course built by a mad scientist. The fact that you ride down to different parts of the peak to get to different levels and lodges was truly appreciated. A transport menu is available from the start menu should you find this aspect annoying. You simply select where you want to transport to and you get dropped off right in front of the entrance to that stage. Very handy for quick runs. It should be noted that with the release of SSX 3, I have switched from the PS2 version to the Xbox version. The controls were a drastic difference and took some getting used to. The PS2 controller is horrible in my eyes, but it is like the holy grail for SSX. Having the grab buttons accessible with your fingers instead of your thumbs made things very easy. The Xbox layout was not as intuitive but now that I am used to it, it doesn’t bother me and the graphical improvements more than make up for the learning curve. Control wise nothing changed so you should feel right at home if you have any time with the previous versions of the game.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/ssx3/ss05_thumb.jpg[/floatright][author]Pretzel[/author]
Although, I can’t express the same feelings about swithcing to the Xbox version of SSX, I can still say that playing it on my PS2 still feels like gold. The controls are freaking great, and the graphics look nice for being on a PS2. Now another aspect of the game that I really enjoyed was the ability to customize your tunes when dominating the slopes. You are given the option of listening to EA BIG’s Radio station or just some awesome tunes. Either way you are getting great sounds when riding the powder. I actually enjoyed the various recording artists that are on this game. Overall the sound in this game is totally awesome and if nothing, the EA radio Station provides a new sense of realism.

[author]Snowcone[/author]
That is one great thing about SSX, it looks great on every system. When playing SSX 3 you can expect the game to feel just as it has in previous versions. The game mechanics are just as great as they ever were and I just can’t get enough of it. EA Big has done a superb job with the SSX franchise and they continue to amaze me with each new release. You will notice a slew of new characters in the mix and a new attribute system has been implemented. No longer do you earn attribute points, you have to buy them with the cash you get from beating courses. The Lodge is where all those transactions take place. My only complaint with this release was the loading times between each level as well as entering and exiting the Lodge. I know these are immense levels with tons of detail, but I found myself getting bored while waiting for the levels to load.

[author]Pretzel[/author]
Yeah, I would have to agree with the loading times fault in this game. It was crazy to see how long these maps would take to load. I really believed that EA did a great job with this title in its third version. The atmosphere is exciting, the tricks are insane, the music is HOT, and it still feels like the original. That’s’ what I think makes a game franchise successful. If you stay true to your roots you can’t go wrong. I enjoyed playing this game for countless hours on my PS2 and I know Cone enjoyed it on his Xbox, so if you get this title for either console then you should not be disappointed.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/ssx3/ss12_thumb.jpg[/floatleft][author]Snowcone[/author]
Exactly. SSX 3 is a great game and I would highly recommend it to anyone that has been a fan of SSX in the past. You will not be disappointed.

Spawn: Armageddon

November 21, 2003

What is Heaven? For that matter what is Hell? For years people have been looking to theologians for the answers to these deceptively deep questions, when in fact the answers lurked all the time within the dark recesses of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn. Well, maybe not, but few could argue against Spawn’s profound effect on the way comic books are looked at and appreciated by mainstream media. Now Namco has brought Spawn to the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube with Spawn: Armageddon. Unfortunately this game feels significantly less inspired than the comic book from which it is inspired.

Playing the tragic hero as always, Spawn lives his afterlife as the unwilling tool of Hell, and its master Malebolgia. Elsewhere, Angels have begun experiments with a substance known as Necroplasm. These experiments have led to the possibility of developing a weapon capable of punching through the interdiminsional planes and destroying Hell once and for all. This weapon is now very close to a reality, and the Angels are looking to this creation as a way to crushing their opposition with a single blow without facing the upcoming war known as Armageddon. The weapon has been test fired already, which has resulted in a dimensional hole being opened to Hell. This has allowed the various denizens of Hell have begun spilling out into the streets of New York City, the weapon’s unfortunate target. Now the Angels need just one more source of Necroplasm to power their next and final shot to destroy Hell. The Angels have fixed their eyes squarely on our very own Spawn, who as hellspawn has more Necroplasm than any other creature on Earth. This, of course much to his chagrin, means he will once again be swept up as a pawn in the eternal struggle involving powers much greater than him. This time, however, his own decisions will either cause or avert the end of the world.

Spawn: Armageddon is a 3d action/adventure title set in the disturbing, yet hauntingly familiar world of the Spawn comic book. The game is set across 30 levels and seven different environments. However, all of this can be traversed in just a few hours, and much of that is forgettable. The environments are bland and uninteresting, and this is mirrored by equally lackluster gameplay. This is not to say Spawn: Armageddon is bad, per se. It just isn’t very good either. This game exemplifies average in an industry where average is possibly the worst label with which to be saddled.

Despite being fundamentally boring, the gameplay exhibited in Spawn’s latest videogame outing is a definite step in the right direction when compared to past titles to bear the Spawn name. It bears more than a passing resemblance to Devil May Cry, as both are centered on seemingly endless combat. However, while Capcom’s action opus featured a deep and interesting fighting mechanic, Spawn’s combat feels tired, slow, and dull. When the primary aspect of any game fails to impress, the entire experience is dragged down. That is Spawn: Armageddon‘s primary flaw.

Spawn begins his adventure with the ability to attack with his axe and chains, as well as the ability to fire supernatural energy at his opponents. As the game progresses new attacks and weapons are made available to help Spawn take on the swarms of enemies out to make this his last adventure. Spawn also has several other abilities to help him, including wall-jumping and gliding through the air with his trademark tattered cape. These moves are all very easy to execute, allowing players to focus on combat and adventuring without having to worry about whether or not a particular maneuver will work.

This is not to say players will have to focus much thought on defeating Spawn’s many enemies. Save for a couple of the game’s bosses, much of the A.I exhibited by the game’s opponents is rudimentary at best. Additionally, despite the numerous types of attacks and weapons available in this game, most of the fighting can be accomplished with pressing the attack button over and over again. Thankfully the bosses do present much more of a challenge, and these encounters inject a much-needed booster shot of fun, excitement, and challenge.

For a game that draws inspiration from such an artistically sound comic book, Spawn: Armageddon is decidedly bland in most of its presentation. While the CG sequences are pleasing, and some of the character models (Spawn in particular) are well done, the environments are all incredibly dull. There are also a host of camera issues that render many scenes in the game a chore to play through. Thankfully, as mediocre as the visuals are in this game, the sounds are all very well done. The GameCube and PS2 versions of Spawn: Armageddon support Dolby Pro Logic II, and the Xbox version takes full advantage of Dolby Digital surround sound. The voice acting (what little there is of it) is also top-notch. The music here is very much heavy metal inspired, including a track by Marilyn Manson entitled A

TMNT

November 20, 2003

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/tmnt/cover.jpg[/floatleft]Due to the fact that I grew up on Ninja Turtles I considered it a godsend that there would be a new TMNT game coming out this year. Boy was I sorely mistaken. I vividly remember playing all of the TMNT games for NES until my thumbs were numb. Unfortunately for myself and many other TMNT fans, that will not be the case with the newest game based on the crime fighting teens from the sewers.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, lets suffice to say that I actually cancelled my preorder of TMNT after playing it for a short time at EB the day that it came out. I was highly disappointed with much of what Konami had to offer this time around. In Konami’s defense, it was Mirage Studios that created a new series of cartoons that are completely inconsistent with the originals and that use voices that completely stray away from the original characters’ personalities completely ruining TMNT.

There are plenty of things wrong with TMNT but none are as mind blowing and preventable as the lack of 4 player action. Given that the Xbox and Gamecube both support 4 players natively and the PS2 does through the use of a multi-tap, I was left wondering why oh why this was left out of the game. There are 4 turtles and 4 controller ports and yet I am stuck playing with only 2 at a time. Would the addition of the 4 player option have saved this game? Highly unlikely, but we don’t need game developers intentionally ruining games now do we.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/tmnt/ss03_thumb.jpg[/floatright]One area of the game I have to give Konami credit for is the graphics. We recently saw the use of cel-shading in Viewtiful Joe to add a nice comic book feel and it definitely works for TMNT. I wouldn’t use a word like “stunning” or even “superb”, but they were good and they really made it feel like you were actually playing one of the old cartoons. As we all know, graphics cannot carry a title. That statement has never been more true.

Allow me to revert and continue on with another area that was lacking, the controls. When you press A, you generally expect something to happen right? I don’t know if it is strictly limited to the Xbox version or not, but I felt like something would only happen every other time I pressed a button. As I battled street thug after street thug, all 2 or 3 variations of them, it was painfully obvious that you had to be very nimble with the button mashing to pull off some of the “combos”. Even though you pressed the right buttons you were never really sure if the combo would actually be executed. If you were lucky enough that your combo was in fact executed you would probably be greeted by one of the three or four annoying phrases your turtle would utter. I am not asking for a complex combat system. I am not even asking for them to put these simple combos in. All I want is for Donatello to attack when I press the A button.

The annoying catch phrases I mentioned are not annoying at first. They aren’t even annoying after you hear them 20 times in the first level which lasts an astounding 3 minutes. They do however become highly annoying after you have heard them 1200 times and you realize you are only on the 3rd level. The fact that the voices are “wrong”, which I already complained about, only compounded the problem. The in game music didn’t add anything and was quite lame.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/tmnt/ss05_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]I honestly wanted this review to end on a more positive note, but after a lot of thinking I realized that wasn’t going to be possible. Aside from the stale controls, the game was mildly entertaining, but after only a few levels it became highly repetitive and just plain boring. I played thru the first couple of levels with each character and there were some slight variations in the story, but not enough to keep the game interesting. If you couple that with the fact that your progress is only saved at the beginning of each stage (which contain upwards of 5 or 6 levels) and some bosses will drain your lives in a matter of minutes, you can see how repetition will take its toll.

While it was nice to see an updated version of the cartoons I watched so religiously as a child, TMNT falls short of my expectations in a whole slew of categories. TMNT is a lame attempt to capitalize on one of the very popular licenses from the early 90s that many of us were so fond of. Should anybody ever think of developing another TMNT game, they should go back and watch the original cartoon series and play the original NES games. Despite being a huge TMNT fan I have to recommend to everyone that you save your money on this one. If you absolutely have to see this one for yourself, just give it a rent as a day or so is all you need to beat the game or get utterly bored trying.

P.S. I hate the way the turtles jump.